Can Your RV Power the House During a Power Outage or Grid Failure?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ก.ค. 2024
- Can your RV power your house? Could your RV replace your gas generator during a power-outage? If you have lithium batteries and solar on your RV, you've probably thought about it. I wanted to try it out to see what works and what doesn't. This video will give you a lot to think about. You will have a better understanding what you'll need to keep your house powered during grid failure or a rolling blackout situations.
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Video Topics
00:00 How do I use my RV to power my house?
02:01 Install a power outlet on your RV
05:16 What kind of power does your Victron inverter provide?
07:38 Install a generator transfer switch in your house?
09:48 Does an emergency backup generator create 240 volt split-phase power?
10:51 How much current (Amps) can your RV provide to the house?
14:04 What is the difference between single-phase and split-phase electricity?
17:55 Demonstration: Powering the house from the RV
19:58 What circuits can I power from the RV?
21:12 What does an actual power outage look like?
22:49 Ground-neutral bonding concerns (Does the RV have a ground neutral bond?)
A List of Equipment Mentioned in the video (affiliate links)
10 Circuit Emergency Transfer Switch : amzn.to/3SDNGHE
50 Amp RV Plug : amzn.to/3FVEnv4
Digital A/C Current Monitor : amzn.to/3MFnBEe
FREE Download - Our Full Off-Grid Electrical System Diagram
www.rvwithtito.com/downloads
#rvwithtito #offgrid #solar
Disclaimer
The opinions expressed in our videos are our own or from a contributor. Before taking on any project or making a large purchase, we recommend you do your own research and consult a professional for advice. Be responsible and know your limits. We are NOT liable for any damage to your property or injury incurred as a result of following our tips, advice or instructions. We are not professionals or certified technicians. We simply have a desire to share ideas and experiences with others.
Affiliate Disclosure
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I have been doing it for 25 years. Now my 40kw battery system can run my house, including 2 2.5 ton AC units! Best thing I have ever done!
Nice!
Just be careful not to overload the neutral wire on that extension cord. If you pull all 4800W those two breakers can supply, you're putting 40A through the 10GA(30A rated) neutral wire on the extension cord going to the transfer switch. (amps add up on the neutral in this configuration, unlike split phase, where amps on one leg cancel out the amps on the other.)
I was thinking the same thing. That's why on campers with 30 amp plugs you always see the hot terminal looking like it's been very very hot because under high loads, it actually splits out the neutral side between the neutral leg and the ground leg. That type of situation could in theory happen here as well, but you don't really want to rely on a ground leg to offset what your neutral wire can't handle.
I never understood electricity and how it works but I do watch and try to understand..
Great job Thanks 😊
Hope you learned a thing or two.
Brian, I got tired of pulling the cord on the generator after 25 years, so guess what? A Generac now powers my house automatically when the power is out. At 73 and maybe out of town away from a cold freezing climate , I don't worry about pulling a cord if the Caribbean calls me. No frozen pipes, and my Winnebago sits in the back yard while I enjoy the warm. I have followed your channel, and have rved since 1966, but lets face it age catches up with all of us, no one gets out of it, except for those who are called back early. Learn as much as you can. Thanks
I hear ya. My gen solenoid keeps dying so I have to hot wire it every time. A battery backup setup is so much easier.
Thanks for this video. I think every RV maker should investigate this and I think it could be a wonderful option that owners will want. Dale
Agree, except most RVs sold aren't ready for off-grid, have small battery banks and no off-grid inverter. Yes it would be an interesting option to provide though. Ford's Lightning truck has peaked peoples interest with their inverter. Though the truck is kind of a flop, lots of folks are trying to power their house with it.
Absolutely...As with anything else, resource management is the key to making it all work...
I spent the summer off-grid camping with my 5th wheel in the wilds of N&S Dakota, relying on my ability to generate my own electricity...
As usual, very thorough and informative! I installed a similar transfer switch for my 12K generator at the house. I wish I had your RV capacity as a backup.... One of our justifications for buying the RV was that it was also a lifeboat for us - this takes it a step further - thanks!
Thanks Phil. Still a good lifeboat. Our house water heater went out a few weeks ago. So we were taking showers in the RV for a couple days 😃.
Excellent, great solution to utilize your sources and options if ever needed in a pinch👍.
Absolutely! I've already used it. Thanks.
Great video… I have basically the same setup here at my house. Just one thing to add when you are powering from the Rv is that the neutral wire will have the total amperage of both legs of the hot wires. If you use 6 awg wire it’s not a problem, but if you use 10 awg it might burn out the neutral wire.
Yes that's true. Split phase is preferred. In my case I'm not pulling that much...and I'm using #6 writing.
@@RVwithTitoexcept for the wire between the Rv outlet and the Rv panel
@@philarmishaw3730Those are both 12 gauge 20A rated romex with the neutrals doubled up at the plug.
@@RVwithTito But not at the 30A extension cord between the RV outlet and the transfer switch inlet. Both those 20A breakers are returning through a single 10GA neutral in the extension cord and there's no overcurrent protection to protect that wire.
I was thinking the same thing. That's why on campers with 30 amp plugs you always see the hot terminal looking like it's been very very hot because under high loads, it actually splits out the neutral side between the neutral leg and the ground leg. That type of situation could in theory happen here as well, but you don't really want to rely on a ground leg to offset what your neutral wire can't handle.
That's a great idea for backup power with no generator noise and very little cost. That should be plenty for lights, refrigerator and a few outlets and have nice clean power to boot.
Well...there is the cost of the whole RV solar etc....not cheap.
Great Video, as usual. I wish I could understand it all, but some of it is above my pay grade. I'm learning. Many thanks.
You're welcome! It was intended for educational purposes. Hope you got something from it.
Brother, this is top tier content. Thanks for making this.
You bet buddy. Hope it helps.
Lots of great information here, thanks Tito !
You bet! Glad you enjoyed it.
Great instructional video! You did exactly what I thought needed to be done. In the future I’ll be putting a 220 V mini split on the fifth wheel and using a Victron auto transformer, to convert 110 V to 220 V, then I will be able to take that power and run 220 V to the house to run my water pump and power both sides of the panel box.
Thanks. Good luck with your setup.
Brian, I have needed to buy and wire in a manual transfer switch for power outages. In the past, I have ran cords helter-skelter. I think you have motivated me to get 'R done. I also have a RV (converted cargo) with a Victron Multiplus 3000w Inverter, which with added outlet to the outside, could power in a limited manner. The logistics of connecting RV to house, is possible, but I would have to hook up and pull it up near the house, and if I have to do that, I might as well wheel up a 120/240 generator. The other thing I want to do is buy a larger and larger and inverter type of generator such as 9500w (7600w running) Harbor Freight with electric start. They are a good value, IMO. You did a great job of explaining single and split phase, which is a hard concept for many. Thank you.
Best of luck gettin 'R done. Thanks for the feedback!
This is very useful info. Thanks a million. I love watching your videos.
I've subscribed to your channel. I'll share the videos with my solar class. Hope you get a lot more views.
Great. Thanks for sharing it.
Very cool Brian nice to have other options 👍
Sure is. I like the battery backup option which is quiet and only uses power as needed. The gas generator just runs (loudly) regardless of what you're load is.
Yes, I’ve done it, we have a generator input on our critical loads panel, plug it in and use the transfer switch.
A critical loads panel and transfer switch opens up lots of possibilities 👌
Great Video. Had the same thoughts when my wife bought a couple EcoFlow solar generators for our house and our motorhome is parked in the back. Our problem is we have 2 - 240 breaker boxes with stuff on both we want generator power so I don’t think RV would work.
Great video. Thank you.
Glad you liked it!
Very nice job. I am an EE never seen split phase shown and explained this well. I am a huge Victron fan on my channel also bills cool projects. Where did you get those power meters on the transfer switch. Very. Cool. Thanks
Thanks! I appreciate that. The little meters were sourced on Amazon (amzn.to/3smyjc5) and give me all the data I was looking for including cumulative power. I replaced the original analog gauge which was never very helpful. I watched your latest Beetle conversion video #9 (and subbed). Very cool! Using the 3 phase AC for regen is interesting. I'll have to watch the rest. Cheers!
I’m encouraged by this video in that I’ve been working on this very concept myself. To see you’ve done the same is encouraging me to proceed. I would have liked to see the generator kicked on to power the sub panel in the house and see what happens. That will be my scenario. Calif. likes to cut power with rolling blackouts during high demand rather than allow the building of infrastructure. I’m planning this to provide power to the house and keep essentials running. I have the same RV inverter system less one Game Changer from Battle Born. I could only fit two in, but that would power things for a while in a pinch. I just want to see if the generator would power the house to in case the outage exceeds my potential battery storage on the rig. Thank you Brian, keep ‘em coming bud!!
The RV generator would still be limited by the 20A x 2 breakers in the RV panel. That still adds up to 4800 Watts though. Still only single phase though. So no 240V. Hope that helps.
@@RVwithTito That would work. The only 240V needs my home has is the A/C. Main thing is fridge and freezer. 👍
Bryan, I thought the Victron Multiplus II 2 x 120 3000W inverter output 120V Dual Phase? That is the inverter I have in my 50Amp fifth wheel and my inverter feeds both sides of my RV breaker panel the same as shore power does in pass through
It feeds both sides of your panel with single phase. With shore power it feeds both sides with split phase.
Do a multiplus II set up in your house. Then you can do split phase with the one in your rv when you need to so you can have hot water
Interesting idea, but it would be too far apart to be balanced or for the VE Bus communication cable between the two inverters.
we had a power outage of a couple of days during the summer and i was able to run an extension cord from my RV to my fridge - worked out great - note: i ran the generator the whole time
Nice.
Lucky for me we don’t loose power often but when I do I just drag a extension cord in to my fridge. Everything else is fine. If it’s out too long I’ll just go sleep in the Rv 😂
Yes. That's always an option. Been there done that.
I did something similar with my class C. I ran a permanent 30A cable from the inverter to the shore power location so I could have the option to share power from an auxiliary 30A outlet.
My motorhome has 2000W of solar on the roof with an additional 1760W when parked.
Perfect! Hate to see that power go to waste 👍
I do similar with my 7.2 Kwh Delta Pro. Its 3600 watt inverter runs all my 120v needs and being portable I can connect its 30 amp plug easily to my transfer switch in basement. I am looking at the new Delta Pro Ultra for its 240v output which should make powering my well pump easy also.
Great! I'll be setting up a more permanent solution soon.
Pretty cool. I have a similar setup, but I bought the Sungineer 6000w 240v split phase inverter. It only runs 240v to my RVs panel at the moment, but I've been spitballing the idea of running a sub panel so I can tap into 240v to run a 30a cord to the house in case of emergencies... but, honestly, it's truly far and between when I've ever really needed a backup power source where I live in South Florida. Sure, the power goes out, but even if all the food in the fridge goes out, it doesn't really justify the cost to install these setups.... Why do I do it then, you may ask? Because it's a challenge, and it has a practical use to brag about at the end lol
As usual, Great Video. Not to mention the can of worms you opened at the end... "Ground Neutral Bond" How hard is it to switch off the ground neutral from the inverter? Is it removing a screw, like mine, or software configuration? Generator too.. My can of worms..
No it's software controlled, but you have to connect a laptop to it and use the Victrin windows app. Yes. Still a pain if I had to do that everything. At least with the LV6548 inverters you'll only need to do it once. Just don't lose the screw. 😃
I have 2 LV6548's and yes, don't loose the screw. Does Victron have a single unit that does split phase? They might give you one....
I don't think Victron has one, not that I've seen.
Very interesting DIY project! Did you mount a 50 amp plug receptacle on the side of your house? I didn’t see how the power cable travels from your motorhome to house.
My setup a kind of unique. I don't use 50A to power the RV anymore. So I'm using that #6AWG cable run from the RV.
If I were able to select individual circuits to self power with the RV's panels, batteries and inverter as you can, I would be offsetting my power bill by using the RV system to supplement power supply all the time. Utilizing from the RV system only that amount which is conservatively solar sustainable. If there is zero complication from back feeding the mains, why not?
For sure. I've done it during the summer months for some circuits that fit within the inverter rating. Right now we're not getting any sun, so I'm not able to replenish the power. This type of setup is really classified as temporary since it's not hard-wired, but sure, it's possible.
I've been working on a rural home/shop off grid design. Thinking how do I optimize batteries, controllers and inverters between RV, shop and house. What about an EV in the mix. I'm way out over my ski's on this one so thanks for the example.
Don't have an EV, but I do try to charge my e-bikes using off-grid sources.
Yea we got Lectric bikes too!
What about the Amps across the neutral at 120 single phase versus 240 dual phase.
Yes. Depending on the load there will be potentially more current flowing on the shared neutral. Do you need to increase the wire gauge on the neutral as needed.
It's fine 🙂 you'd he surprised how much a wire can handle
The Future Sir !
1.21 Gigawatts here we come :)
@@RVwithTito Tito , I would like to see you get a Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell vehicle and power your house . Now that’s the future. 👀
Victron multiplus 3000va puts out 2400watts Continuous. 20amp
Hehehe a little over my pay grade. But I do understand 90% of what you are saying.
Consider this training for your next promotion 😃
I have enough solar and batteries in my RV to run the essentials in my house for useable amount of time.
3500 solar
3000 watt inverter
900 amps lifepo4 24 volts
Sounds like you have a power plant on wheels. Don’t know where you found enough real estate to install 3500 watts of solar on a rv unless it’s a motorhome pulling a enclosed trailer.
@@gkeller995830 ft rv 2500 watt on top 1000 on side
Oh man. Yup. You've got it covered :)
👍👍👍
👍
Do RVs come with that many batteries?
Can you charge both e bikes without shor power
Sure.
If I'm not mistaken this is the kind of functionality that may qualify the RV for some solar tax credits.
Other than that, I love this kind of content and your understanding of relatively complex systems is quite impressive. I almost needed a translator. Almost.
Thanks. I'm not sure about the tax credit thing.
The solar credit still applies if you haven't used it for this project: www.energy.gov/eere/solar/homeowners-guide-federal-tax-credit-solar-photovoltaics @@RVwithTito
@@RVwithTitoYeah I'm the last guy anyone should take tax info from but one's accountant would be the way to go.
All gas stations will be closed if electricity is cut. So where do you get gas?
I keep a lot of propane around. My generator runs on LP as well as gas.
They still share 1 ground, the RV is isolated by the tires and grounds through its shore connection. Unless you ground your RV with something
You were smart to use a low frequency, transformer based inverter to power your RV and house. The high frequency, transformerless inverters that are used in today's so called solar generators can easily set your appliances on fire during a catastrophic failure of the H-Bridge circuit in these cheap, Chinese manufactured solar generators. A self contained, high frequency solar generator like Anker, Ecoflow and Bluetti, should never be used to power inductive loads like refrigerators, microwaves, portable AC units and large power tools.
Yes. The better option for sure. I have some 48V Chinese HF ones too, but prefer not to leave it when we're away in the RV. The mostly power light loads anyway.
Do you have any evidence of Ecoflow power centers causing appliance fires? I, like many many others, routinely use Ecoflow Delta Max (or other models) for microwave, refrigerator, aircon etc. in a travel trailer or as home backup. I have never heard of such an appliance fire caused by the power center.
❤😊❤
:)
Why not take it one step further. Setup you RV solar with a grid tie inverter to offset grid usage?
Ooh. Grid tied involves the utility company...no thanks :) Better off running off-grid through an inverter that can supplement with grid input if the batteries get emptied ... at least during the summer when it's sunny.
@@RVwithTito I hear you. I'm having 17kw installed on my house in a couple weeks. Its been quite the process for the contractor to get it all approved with the power company.
👍😎🦅🇺🇸
Thanks!
First 🎉
Woo hoo! :)
First thing came to my mind......why do you want to power your house ? Much easier just move in to your coach....(or not??)
While we enjoy living in our RV for part of the year, we always enjoy our time at home also.
sounds complicated
Yes. Not an entry level project. It requires A/C electrical knowledge to do it properly.
I think you might want to check on the phase for a 50 amp RV pedestal again. It's just two 25 amp circuits, not 240 split phase.
Not sure why there is so much confusion over an RV 50 amp outlet. It indeed supplies two 120 volt circuits with each being 50 amps not 25. If you look at your RV service panel you will see the main breaker shows each leg as 50 amps. They circuits are split phased so only one neutral wire is used. However, most RV service panels do not have a 240 volt breaker although the two 120 volt wires would measure 240 volts between them.
They are rated at 50A on each side as long as it's split phase. The wiring is #6 AWG which is capable of carrying that load on each side. However, without split phase, the shared neutral may get overloaded and require a larger gauge conductor.